Odds & Ends: Warriors, Spurs, Green, Malone
Let's catch up on the latest news and happenings from around the NBA…
- NewsOk.com's Berry Tramel writes about how the Spurs and Thunder are so similar in their foundation.
- In a tweet, NBA.com's Scott Howard-Cooper says the Warriors will be conducting a workout on Monday. Some players expected to participate are Tony Wroten, Draymond Green, Royce White, and others. The Warriors currently hold the 30th pick from their trade deadline deal to acquire Richard Jefferson.
- Danny Green is enjoying a dream season with the Spurs after once wondering if he'd ever make it in the NBA, writes Al Iannazzone of Newsday. The former North Carolina star has gone from being cut by the Cavaliers after his rookie season to starting at shooting guard for the Spurs.
- Matt Steinmetz of CSNBayArea.com wonders what the Warriors will do next if assistant head coach Michael Malone leaves the franchise for a head coaching job this offseason. Malone has been a major part of head coach Mark Jackson's coaching staff as the former point guard has only 66 games of coaching experience to draw from as he enters his second season guiding the Warriors.
- The Bulls are exploring leaving their suburban practice facility, the Berto Center, in favor of a downtown location to cut down on commuting before home games, reports K.C. Johnson of the Chicago Tribune. A move downtown would save the Bulls money as they currently provide players free access to a hotel room prior to home games so that they can avoid rush hour traffic.
- Matt Moore of CBSSports.com wonders where the Sixers go from here now that they've been eliminated from by the playoffs by the Celtics. The team will continue to look for a star player to add to the roster while facing many decisions about its current roster heading into next season.
- USA Basketball chairman Jerry Colangelo is ready to field the most competitive roster for the 2012 Summer Olympics, writes Gary Washburn of The Boston Globe. While most of the players from the 2008 squad should be back on this year's roster, the team will be without Dwight Howard as he is currently rehabbing from back surgery in Los Angeles.
Odds & Ends: Bird, Dwight, Kerr, Shaw
- According to a series of tweets by Mike Wells of the Indianapolis star, Pacers owner Herb Simon hopes that Larry Bird will continue to work with the franchise in some capacity if Bird decides to step down as president, and that no meeting has been arranged between the two yet.
- Brian Schmitz of the Orlando Sentinel believes that Dwight Howard must align himself with a winning team in order to repair his tarnished image and should therefore expand his list of preferred trade destinations. Also, Schmitz briefly discusses the idea of Steve Kerr and Brian Shaw joining the Magic as GM and head coach respectively. When recently asked about the GM vacancy, Kerr asserted that he is currently happy with his job as a TNT analyst, although the Magic are expected to still make inquiries. Shaw would accept the head coaching opportunity in a heartbeat, according to Schmitz.
- Stephen Brotherston of HoopsWorld presents a list of this year's top-shooting free agents. Ray Allen, Jason Terry, Steve Novak, and Randy Foye were listed as some of the top unrestricted free agents who displayed solid three-point shooting percentages along with a high volume of attempts this year.
- Charley Walters of the Pioneer Press writes that Timberwolves owner Glen Taylor is confident in the team's chances to make the playoffs next season. Taylor also said that the team is "going to try" the free agent market.
Magic Willing To Trade Dwight Howard
5:23PM: In a tweet from Orlando Sentinel reporter Josh Robbins, the Magic have in fact not decided whether or not they'll trade Dwight Howard. No action will be made until the team has hired a new general manager, and that person has sat down with Howard and discussed the center's thoughts moving forward.
4:13PM: The whirlwind in Orlando continues. According to Chris Sheridan of SheridanHoops.com, the Magic are prepared to trade Dwight Howard "sooner rather than later." A source told Sheridan that the decision was made after a meeting in Michigan last week between the team's president and owner.
The Magic will look to strike a deal after next week's lottery, when teams have a better idea of what they have, and are capable of moving.
Recently named to the league's All-Defense and All-NBA first teams, Howard is currently recovering from back surgery, but when healthy is still one of the league's best players, and the most attractive option on the trade market.
Odds & Ends: Haslem, Howard, Wizards, Lakers
Udonis Haslem will sit out Game 6 of the Heat/Pacers series tonight, serving a one-game suspension for his flagrant foul in Game 5. But Haslem and agent Henry Thomas intend to appeal the suspension nonetheless, hoping to regain the $35K the Heat forward will lose.
"We'll file an appeal to the union," Thomas told Chris Tomasson of FOX Sports Florida. "This is a guy who has been in the league for nine years and he doesn't have the reputation of being a dirty player. He's a hard-nosed player. But he's not dirty, and he doesn't want this to follow him around. … He's disappointed (with the suspension). He feels he tried to make a play on the ball."
As Haslem waits for his appeal to be heard, here are a few more Thursday notes from around the NBA:
- If Dwight Howard is available this summer, the Rockets are one team who might be willing to trade for him without assurances he'd re-sign, according to Bill Ingram of HoopsWorld. I wrote earlier today that acquiring a star will be the Rockets' primary goal this offseason, and even coming off back surgery, Howard would certainly qualify.
- The Wizards have yet to make a decision on coach Randy Wittman, but sources suggest to Michael Lee of the Washington Post that Wittman is a good bet to return to Washington.
- Appearing on Colin Cowherd's radio show, Jerry West weighed in on the state of the Lakers, and Dave McMenamin of ESPNLosAngeles.com has the details.
- One NBA GM told Chad Ford of ESPN.com (Insider link) that Dion Waiters might be the player besides Anthony Davis with the most superstar potential in this year's draft class.
- Members of the Pistons' staff were upset that Greg Monroe wasn't named to this summer's U.S. Select Team, writes Vince Ellis of the Detroit Free Press.
- Tom Ziller of SBNation.com explains why it will be difficult for the Mavericks to trade Lamar Odom next month.
Odds & Ends: Iverson, Clippers, Mavericks, Shaq
The 76ers defeated the Celtics tonight in an ugly, defensive affair to force a Game 7 on Saturday night in Boston. Early in the game, an ESPN reporter spoke with Allen Iverson who was in town to deliver the game ball to tonight's referees. Iverson said he still wants to play basketball, whether in the NBA or elsewhere. Here are other links from late Wednesday night:
- Arash Markazi and Pedro Moura from ESPN Los Angeles give their differing takes on whether Clippers stars Chris Paul and Blake Griffin will be teamed up in LA for the remainder of their careers.
- Derek Page of HoopsWorld says that for the Mavericks, in lieu of letting key pieces of their championship team leave via free agency, anything in the offseason short of Deron Williams would deem that decision a "momentous mistake." Meanwhile, Kevin Sherrington of the Dallas Morning News says via chat that Pau Gasol would not be a good fit in Dallas.
- Speaking of Deron Williams, Colin Stephenson of the Newark Star Ledger examined the Nets offseason uncertainties outside of their potential free-agent-to-be point guard. The Nets have only four players that are guaranteed to be under contact for next year's Brooklyn debut.
- The Bird Rights hearing between the NBA and NBA Players Association will be in mid-June, says Ian Begley of ESPN New York, citing an unnamed source. Begley notes that the Knicks will be particularly impacted due to waiver pickups of Steve Novak and Jeremy Lin.
- The 2012 Olympic schedule for Team USA was unveiled, according to Chris Sheridan of Sheridan Hoops.
- ESPN's Chris Broussard and Marc Stein offer their takes on Shaq as a potential fit as the future general manager of the Magic. Broussard says Shaq has acted as a mentor to Dwight Howard throughout the season as they apparently bonded over their dislike for Stan Van Gundy. Hiring O'Neal could be an attempt to persuade Howard to stay. Meanwhile, despite previous reports, Broussard adds that the Bobcats will in fact reach out to Van Gundy.
Odds & Ends: Shaq, Howard, Nets, Bobcats
As the Celtics prepare to try to eliminate the Sixers tonight in Philadelphia, let's check out a few links from around the NBA:
- Chris Broussard said on ESPN's NBA Countdown that Shaquille O'Neal could meet with the Magic brass next week about their general manager opening, via Marc Stein's Twitter. That would certainly be an interesting scenario given the Howard situation.
- Jarrod Rudolph of RealGM.com wonders if the Magic/Dwight Howard mess has become about saving face for the team. Mike Bianchi of the Orlando Sentinel, meanwhile, thinks the Magic need to give Howard a draft-day deadline to decide on his future.
- Nets GM Billy King spoke to Stefan Bondy of the New York Daily News about former Magic GM Otis Smith, Dwight Howard, and the upcoming draft lottery.
- In an Insider piece for ESPN.com, John Hollinger lists a few players whose free agent stock has declined in the postseason. Chuck Myron of Hoops Rumors has been tracking playoff performances by free agents in his Money Time feature, and many of the players he names overlap with Hollinger's picks.
- The Bobcats haven't approached Stan Van Gundy about their head coach opening and he's unlikely to be interested anyway, tweets Rick Bonnell of the Charlotte Observer.
- Josh Cohen of OrlandoMagic.com proposes a few trade ideas he thinks could make sense this summer.
- Salary cap expert Larry Coon fielded a numer of readers' questions in a HoopsWorld chat today.
Amick On Bynum, Howard, Deron Williams
Like Vincent Bonsignore of the Los Angeles Daily News did last night, SI.com's Sam Amick argues that the Lakers and Magic should explore swapping Andrew Bynum and Dwight Howard. Within his piece, Amick drops a few interesting details to support his argument, and touches on Deron Williams' free agent options as well. Here are some highlights:
- When Howard included the Lakers in his list of preferred destinations, it was more a leverage play than a statement he'd sign long-term there, sources tells Amick.
- At the trade deadline, according to Amick, Howard to the Lakers didn't seem like a fit because Howard didn't want to play third-fiddle to Kobe Bryant and Pau Gasol. However, Amick says the dynamic for the Lakers, the Magic, and Howard has changed, and that all involved parties are more desperate for a shake-up now.
- According to a Lakers source, Bynum grew more vocal about his frustrations and was more prone to "acting out" as the season progressed.
- Magic CEO Alex Martins is still confident that Howard can be persuaded to remain in Orlando.
- Amick hears that Deron Williams has some interest in joining the Lakers, though that would only be possible through a sign-and-trade. Williams' preference is for the Nets to improve the roster sufficiently enough that he can feel good about re-signing in Brooklyn.
- Dallas is still a possibility for Williams, but a source tells Amick that there's "no longevity" when it comes to the Mavericks and their roster.
Odds & Ends: Howard, Lin, Butler, Belinelli
A few Tuesday afternoon odds and ends from around the NBA:
- After reporting yesterday that Dwight Howard still wants to be traded out of Orlando, Chris Sheridan of SheridanHoops.com outlines why the Nets and Knicks may be the most logical trade partners for the Magic.
- If Howard is dealt this summer, it's probably bad news for the Mavericks, writes Jeff Caplan of ESPNDallas.com. The Mavs could have the cap space for Howard next summer, but don't have the trade chips to get him right now.
- In an Insider piece for ESPN.com, David Thorpe examines some potential landing spots for Jeremy Lin, concluding that the Raptors, Nets, and Suns might be the best fits besides the Knicks.
- Rasual Butler has heard from several teams and plans to be ready to sign in July, according to Steve Kyler of HoopsWorld. The Raptors released Butler in March, in time for him to catch on with another team for the postseason, but the 33-year-old didn't sign another contract before season's end.
- In an interview with Gazzetta.it, Marco Belinelli said he expects to receive offers from the Hornets and other NBA teams, and wants to determine where he'll sign before trying to join the Italian national team for the Olympics. Hat tip to Emiliano Carchia of Sportando for the translation.
Dwight Howard Still Wants Out Of Orlando
Despite the exit of coach Stan Van Gundy and GM Otis Smith today, Dwight Howard "desperately" wants to be traded before next season, a source tells Chris Sheridan of SheridanHoops.com. While it seemed the moves were made with Howard in mind, the superstar center wants out of Orlando now more than ever, according to the source.
Sheridan says Magic execs are expected to meet soon with Howard in Los Angeles, where he's recovering from back surgery. If he reiterates then that he wants out, Sheridan says the team is expected to try to trade him to "the highest bidder." The source says the Nets are still the frontrunner for his services, but the Mavericks, Knicks and, to a lesser degree, the Clippers and Lakers, are destinations that also appeal to Howard.
Earlier today we heard that Magic CEO Alex Martins has called for Howard to make his decision regarding his future with the club. At the trade deadline this past March, Howard declined his early termination option for next season, committing himself to the last season of his contract with the Magic. The move appears only to have been a temporary stay of the drama surrounding his rumored departure. Howard missed the playoffs for the Magic this season after undergoing surgery to repair a herniated disk in his back more than a month ago. He has been rehabbing in Los Angeles and has not returned to Orlando since the operation. The Magic said earlier he's staying there because he requires frequent checkups from his doctors in L.A., but Howard's choice of locations nonetheless fueled speculation he's estranged from the team.
Odds & Ends: Olympics, Howard, Bulls, Mavericks
A few Thursday afternoon odds and ends from around the Association….
- When Mike Krzyzewski steps down, Gregg Popovich is the logical choice to coach Team USA, argues Ailene Voisin of the Sacramento Bee.
- Roy Hibbert told Chris Tomasson of FOX Sports Florida that he attempted to get his release from Team Jamaica so he could potentially play for Team USA, but that it's a dead issue and he has moved on.
- Josh Robbins of the Orlando Sentinel wonders why, if Dwight Howard truly wants to stay with the Magic, he doesn't come out and say so.
- Ronnie Brewer told ESPN 1000 in Chicago that he hopes both he and Kyle Korver can return to the Bulls next season, as ESPNChicago.com notes. Both players are on non-guaranteed contracts for 2012/13.
- According to Jeff Caplan of ESPNDallas.com, Rick Carlislie's comments on Dallas radio open the door for speculation that the Mavericks could explore packaging Lamar Odom in a trade for a player on a large contract.